Drinking teens can develop later woes

Everyyear,anaverageof more than 4,300 kids in the United States under age 21 die from alcohol-related events.

Those who indulge and survive, well, evidence shows that teen drinking can impair memory, decision making, executive function and emotional regulation. It also raises the risk of committing or being a victim of physical or sexual assault, suicide and later alcoholism and drug addiction.

Add to that the findings of a new study of 650 men: Those who had had an average of seven drinks a week between ages 15 and 19 were over three times more likely to develop high-grade prostate cancer.

So talk to your teen boys about the dangers of alcohol — including prostate cancer. (For girls, the warnings include breast cancer.) While you’re at it, make sure your teens know you’re a safe person to talk to about peer pressure and other drinking-related concerns.

Hostility and leaking guts

In one game of the 1997 NBA finals, Michael Jordan scored 38 points — all in a day’s work for the superstar, you might say. Not quite. Jordan had the flu and was vomiting right up to game time. But he was determined that his leaky gut wouldn’t harm his team’s chance for victory.

But a fighting spirit isn’t always a good thing, especially when it turns to hostility between married folks. Then it can cause a leaky gut that will keep you out of the game.

Researchers from Ohio State University have found that couples who are actively hostile to one another cause bacteria in their gut to move through the intestinal wall — leaky gut — into their bloodstream, where the microbes trigger inflammation and disease. (No wonder couples may tell each other: “You’re bugging me!”) And when a hostile spouse is also depressed, health risks escalate.

Luckily, there are ways to defuse hostility and protect your health. The Cleveland Clinic’s Anger Management and Treatment Program suggests you:

Seek treatment from a professional who’s trained to teach anger management and assertiveness skills. Assertiveness lets you express feelings calmly and directly.

Use deep breathing and positive self-talk to interrupt your cycle of hostility. Breathe deeply from your diaphragm; slowly repeat a calm word or phrase such as “relax” or “take it easy.”

Practice good listening skills. Listening can facilitate trusting feelings between people. This trust can help you deal with potentially hostile emotions.

Email questions for Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen to youdocsdaily@sharecare. com.